Combination work bench and tool chest



May 7, 1957 I H. B. STEELE, JR

COMBINATION WORK BENCH AND TOOL CHEST 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 16, 1955 HENRY B. STEELE, J2.

May 7, 1957 'H. B. STEELE, JR

coumumou wonx BENCH AND TOOL CHEST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1955 HENRY B. STEEL,J2.-

United States Patent COMBINATION WORK BENCH AND TOOL CHEST Henry B. Steele, In, Chicago, Ill. Application February 16, 1955, Serial No. 488,572

1 Claim. (Cl. 144-285) This invention relates to a portable bench chest for the transportation and support of tools such as the tools used in woodworking, plastic working, household repairs, hobby craft, toys, educational articles and the like.

In benches and chests of this kind it is important to make the setting up of the bench very rapid and simple but also very safe and stable. The new unit is improved in this respect, over those previously known to the art.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of the new bench chest in closed and portable condition.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the chest in opened, operative condition.

Figure 3 is a side view of the chest in partly opened, operative condition and Figure 4 is a detail from Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the basic parts of the new bench chest are, a bench and chest 11, having a common straight edge and hinge connection 12. These basic parts are so arranged that the bench 10 can serve as a closure member for the chest 11, in the position of Figure 1, and can serve as a work bench associated with the chest, in the positions of Figures 2 and 3.

The bench or bench top 10 is desirably formed by a flat plate of maple wood or the like, extending away from the hinge 12 in a horizontal direction when in operative position. It is shown as being rectangular. Remotely of the hinge 12 and adjacent to the opposite or front edge portion 13 of the bench plate, two fasteners 14, 15 are secured to this plate in two corners of the plate. These fastener means are shown in form of so-called dot fasteners, that is, internally threaded, shouldered nipples, recessed into the bench top plate 10 so that their shouldered top portions 16 are flush with the working or top surface of the bench, see Figure 4. The internally threaded body portion 17 of each dot fastener desirably extends into but not through the bench top 10, in order to minimize the danger of accidental displacement. A pin member 18 having an externally threaded portion 19 is provided for each dot fastener. A lower, unthreaded portion of each pin member 18 has telescopic fit with a vise member 20, to allow clamping down of the front edge portion 13 of the bench unit upon any suitable table or similar support 21.

The underside of the horizontal bench top 10 is shown as being provided with a number of rubber bumpers 22, suitably secured thereto, for the double purpose of (l) protecting the table 21 from scratching and other injury and of (2) insuring simple but safe attachment by the vise against the resilient load of the bumpers 22; these bumpers being compressed when the vise is tightened. Similar bumpers are also secured to the underside of the chest body 11. All bumpers are at the same elevation when the bench chest is opened. Their distribution over the area of the undersides of the bench top 10 and chest body 11 is a matter of design and preference. Likewise these bumpers may have any desired form, for instance the form of small, discontinuous, round rubber grommets 2,791,251 Patented May 7, 1957 as shown. By means of the front edge attachment by vises 20, resilient bumpers 22 and the weight of the chest 11 and contents thereof, very adequate attachment and seating of the entire unit can be provided in most instances. Of course it is also possible to provide additional fasteners and vises in various side edge parts or other parts of the bench top 10, to provide a unit for heavier duty.

In order to insure safe, portable condition of the bench chest, the underside of the front edge portion 13 of the bench top 10 is provided with closure means, cooperating with matching means on the top of the chest 11 to form one or several snap hasp members 25. They serve to prevent accidental opening of the chest, when it is transported by means of a handle 26 attached to the top.

The chest 11 is desirably a box-shaped unit made of sheet steel, aluminum or other metal. The top 27 of this chest, having the handle 26 thereon, is shown as being hinged about a hinge member 28, parallel to the hinge 12. Both hinges 28 and 12 may be in the form of so-called piano hinges, coextensive with the edges they join together. Side members 29 and 30 are hinged about similar but vertical hinge members 31 and 32. In this manner the chest, when fully opened, provides a maximum of accessible support and display area for tools and supplies. It is possible to attach the various pliers, hammers, screw drivers, drills, drill bit holders, screw boxes, nail boxes, etc., safely but removably, on the underside of the top member 27, the insides of the side members 29 and 30, and the inside of the chest body 11. In addition a semienclosed storage area 33 is formed in the bottom part of the chest, which is useful for the storage of vises 20, other working vises 34, planes, and other relatively large and heavy tools. This arrangement also serves to further insure the stability of the unit in operative condition, even in the event that only a few, light vise fasteners 20 are used.

In order to avoid interference between parts stored in the area 33 and parts suspended on the insides of the members 11, 29 and 30, the latter parts are preferably suspended only on upper and middle parts of said portions 11, 29 and 30. For their suspension, so-called peg board and hanger units 35, 36 are desirably provided, as shown, although it is also possible to use other tool supports 37, mainly in the top member 27, and to modify such details in other respects.

The bench chest 10, 11 is carried to the table 21 by means of the carrying handle 26, or alternately, by handles 38 on the outsides of the side members 29, 30. In the closed or portable condition the folding member 10 is secured to the chest 11 by the hasps 25 and desirably the side members 29 and 30 are similarly secured by hasps 39.

The unit is set down on the table, so that it rests upon the rubber bumpers 22 secured to the outside of the chest bottom, at a suitable distance from the front edge of the table. The hasps 25, 39 are then opened; the bench top 10 is folded down and out, about the hinge 12 until it rests on the bumpers 22 secured to its outside and underside; the vises 20 are taken from the storage area 33; their pins 18 are inserted in the dot fasteners 17 and then secured to the vise body members 40 by suitable wing set screw members 41; and the screw clamp portion 42 of each vise is turned by a conventional handle 43, to clamp the spreader plate 44 of the vise securely against the underside of the table. The unit is then in condition for work to be done on the bench top 10, with the aid of the tools stored in the chest 11.

I claim:

A portable bench chest, comprising a box-shaped chest, a front wall hinged to the front edge of the bottom wall of the chest, adapted to provide a closure for the chest ICC and also to provide a work surface when in open position relative to the chest, a back wall connected to said bottom wall, brackets rendering the back wall rigid with respect to said bottom wall, a pair of side walls hingedly connected along an edge one to each side edge of the back 5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Holmes Sept. 9, Lyford Feb. 19, Kindgen July 24, Bodkin Dec. 5, Wallgren Dec, 6, Blair' Aug. 4, Kaufiman July 18,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Nov. 11, 

